Japanese HR Legend Takeshi Yamasaki Trying To Hit 186 MPH Fastball

Joe Kinsey

Takeshi Yamasaki hit 403 home runs during his 25-year Japanese baseball career, including a career high 43 in 2007 as a 38 year old. The guy is now 45 and recently appeared on a Japanese variety show — the same one Randy Johnson was on — and was tasked with trying to hit a 186 mph fastball while not wearing a batting helmet. I’m not actually sure a batting helmet would be much help stopping a 186 mph fastball, but it would at least be a small level of comfort.

So Yamasaki got in the box and took a look at the 186 mph heater. As you can see in the GIF and video, Tak didn’t see much. In fact, he struck out looking. He never actually swung the bat.

But it’s good TV, right? Tell me you wouldn’t watch Fox Sports 1 if they had Barry Bonds facing a 186 mph heater. I’d be glued to my TV. Leave it to the Japanese to come up with something that should’ve been on American TV years ago. Of course I want to see Canseco taking BP off this machine. Let him PED up for six months or so, give him an aluminum bat and see what he can do.